BackThe age of the screenagers
One out of 10 Indian children has access to a mobile phone, a study by Cartoon Network shows
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New Delhi: One out of 10 Indian children has access to a mobile phone. While 73% of the mobile phone users borrow the device, 9% actually own it, according to the 11th edition of New Generations 2012, a study by Cartoon Network that maps children’s behaviour as consumers.
About 56% of the children receive an average pocket money of ₹ 275 per month, but only 37% save the money, found the study that maps children’s media consumption, interest in sports, spending and savings, usage of the Internet, mobile devices, and gaming.
“We have started to call these kids ‘screenagers’ because of their access to devices which has gone up significantly," said Krishna Desai, director of programming for South Asia at Turner International India Pvt. Ltd, which runs Cartoon Network.
“The top trends we have seen are that the number of mobile phones in the reach of children has increased significantly, Plus, another striking outcome was that games top Internet usage among children, followed by social networking."
The report was compiled after a survey of 7,000 children, aged between 7 and 14, and parents across 26 centres including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Nasik, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Guwahati and Hyderabad.
Additionally, parents of children in the age group of four-six years were included in the survey, too.
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